UN Security Council slams deadly terrorist attack on blue helmets in Mali

The UN Security Council on Thursday strongly condemned Wednesday's deadly terrorist attack on UN peacekeepers in north Mali and reiterated that "any acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable."

"The members of the Security Council condemned in the strongest terms the terrorist attack on 18 May 2016 against a convoy of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) near Aguelhok, in the Kidal region, during which five peacekeepers from Chad were killed and three others injured," the 15-nation UN body said a statement issued to the press.

"The members of the Security Council reaffirmed that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security," the statement said. "The members of the Security Council underlined the need to bring perpetrators, organizers, financiers and sponsors of these reprehensible acts of terrorism to justice."

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned the attack on Wednesday and called for "swift action to bring the perpetrators of this heinous attack to justice."

An unknown group of armed assailants opened fire on the MINUSMA convoy after it hit an improvised explosive device about 15 km north of Aguelhok, Kidal region in north Mali.

Source: XINHUA